We all have been buying drugs from the local drug stores because we don’t really have other alternative from which we can buy drugs. Local drug stores have license to sell medicines and thus medicines are not easily available at general stores. This is also the reason local drug stores have created a monopoly and are not very customer centric.
If you ask ten customers who regularly buy medicines from local drug stores most of them will not appreciate the local drug stores and everybody will unearth different negative points. So it is quite evident that local drug stores are not very beneficial for people. The only reason people visit local drug stores is that they are authorized to sell medicines and nothing else.
So let’s quickly look at some of the points which clearly most people can relate to and can agree with the statement that local drug stores are not beneficial.
Don’t Stock Specific Drugs Often:
How many times this happens when a person looking for some specific medicines visit a local drug store only to hear that the medicine is not in stock or the drug store doesn’t keep it in inventory. This is a big problem for people who live in city outskirts or remote areas and cannot make frequent visits to local drug stores. This is also a big problem for people who cannot step out of the home because of their household chores.
Charges Maximum Retail Price:
Most of the local drug stores charges maximum retail price from the customers. If the customer asks for discount the local drug store owner clearly denies giving it. This put a big financial burden on people who need regular medicine because of their medical condition. So because people don’t have much alternative they pay the maximum retail price and feels cheated.
Bad at Customer Service:
Local drug stores are not good at providing impressive customer service. There are many a times we see people saying negative things about a local drug store. Most local drug store owners know that even if they provide bad customer service people doesn’t have much option. So even if someone complaints about something it will not impact their business in any ways so the things remain the same and the customer service is not paid attention to.
Refund and Return Is an Issue:
When you talk about refund or return of an item it is next to impossible to get it exchanged or get the complete refund. Local drug owners have their own excuses and so called policies which they use quite well to deny any return or refund. So for people who has bought a medicine or some medical supply if find about any discrepancy there is slight chance of him getting back his money or get the item exchanged.
Not Available 24×7:
Local drug stores are not available 24×7 like the Canadian drug pharmacy. So people who are tight on their daily schedule seldom get the medicine when they arrive late at local drug store. Local drug stores are also not convenient for people who works late at office or works in an industry where they have hectic work schedule.
Overall there are not much benefits of local drug stores as compared to online pharmacies.
